Hong Wang

Assistant Member

Education

Ph.D., Molecular Biology; Yale University

Research Summary

Chemosensory disorders substantially impact the quality of life. Impairment of taste and smell contributes to malnutrition, cachexia, and depression in a large percentage of cancer and AIDS patients. In spite of the rapid progress in identifying chemosensory receptors and signaling molecules, the mechanisms of chemosensory disorders remain largely unknown and there is a lack of specific and effective treatment for these disorders. Thus, the primary focus of our laboratory is to identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying chemosensory disorders.

Our current research is mainly on the roles of inflammation in taste and smell dysfunction. Specific projects include: 1) characterizing pathways of inflammatory cytokines and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in chemosensory systems; 2) determining the effects of inflammation on taste bud cell degeneration and regeneration; 3) identifying regulatory mechanisms that alter taste signaling in animal models of inflammation; 4) investigating the interactions between inflammatory and taste receptor-mediated signaling pathways in the gut.

Keywords

neuroimmunology, inflammation, taste and smell disorders, molecular biology, taste cell turnover, taste signaling, gene expression, in situ hybridization

Recent Publications

Cohn, Z. J.; Kim, A.; Huang, L.; Brand, J. G. and Wang, H. (2010) “Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation attenuates taste progenitor cell proliferation and shortens the life span of taste bud cells.” BMC Neuroscience. 11, 72.

Feng, P.; Wang, H.; Feldman, R. S.; Pribitkin, E. A. and Breslin, P. A. S. (2010) “The T Cells in peripheral taste tissue of healthy human adults: Predominant memory T cells and Th-1 cells.” Chemical Senses. 35, 501-09.

Borgmann-Winter, K.; Rawson, N. E.; Wang, H. Y.; Wang, H.; MacDonald, M. L.; Ozdener, M. H.; Yee, K. K.; Gomez, G.; Xu, J.; Bryant, B. P.; Adamek, G.; Mirza, N.; Pribitkin, E. A. and Hahn, C. G. (2009) “Human olfactory epithelial cells generated in vitro express diverse neuronal characteristics.” Neuroscience. 158, 642-53.

Wang, H.; Zhou, M.; Brand, J. G. and Huang, L. (2009) “Inflammation and taste disorders: mechanisms in taste buds.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1170, 596-603.

Wang, H.; Iguchi, N.; Rong, Q.; Zhou, M.; Ogukunorode, M.; Inoue, M.; Pribitkin, E. A.; Bachmanov, A. A.; Margolskee, R. F.; Pfeifer, K. and Huang, L. (2009) “Expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ1 in mammalian taste bud cells and the effect of its null-mutation on taste preferences.” Journal of Comparative Neurology. 512, 384-98.

Maehashi, K.; Matano ,M.; Wang, H.; Vo, L. A.; Yamamato, Y. and Huang, L.; (2008) “Bitter peptides activate hTAS2Rs, the human bitter receptors.” Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 365, 851-55.

Wang, H.; Zhou, M.; Brand, J. G. and Huang, L. (2007) “Inflammation activates the interferon signaling pathways in taste bud cells.” Journal of Neuroscience. 27, 10703-13.

Huang, L.; Cao, J.; Wang, H.; Vo, L. A. and Brand, J. G. (2006) “Identification and functional characterization of a voltage-gated chloride channel and its novel splice variant in taste bud cells.” Journal of Biological Chemistry. 280, 36150-57.